Pregnancy is one of the wonderful journeys that a woman undergoes in her life time. Giving birth to a new life is an eternal feeling and all mothers know it. And, like every beautiful thing comes with a price; giving birth also comes with a heavy price. The mother’s body will undergo severe changes both physically and physiologically to cater to the new life. Hormones, biochemical pathways and the complete anatomy of the mother will take changes to accommodate the new life. While there are many changes that take place, one major change that occurs is in terms of appetite. Appetite is directly connected to digestion and the same varies like mood during pregnancy. Many women might feel a sudden surge in appetite, while many might see a decline in the same. Both traits are a part of pregnancy and is completely normal.

Losing appetite is sometimes a cause of worry! This is because the new life would draw the nutrition from the mother. So, a good appetite is always desirable in expecting mothers. There are several reasons for losing appetite during pregnancy. The main reasons are described below:

11 Reason Why You Lose Your Appetite During Pregnancy

1. Morning Sickness

This is the most common reasons for losing appetite. Vomiting and its sensation itself pushes the expecting mothers’ miles away from food. They just refuse the sight of the food. This happens because they feel that eating food will make them vomit again. However, it is not true and new mothers should get over this feeling.

2. Gastric

Due to major changes in the body, digestion get heavily compromised in expecting mothers. Irregularities in the digestive system leads to gas formation and lead to gastric conditions. Gastric alone is enough to kill the appetite. At times, the gastric situation is unavoidable. The only remedy is to eat at regular intervals and keep the stomach filled always.

3. Influx of Hormones

Pregnancy is all about changes and bodily changes are caused by an influx of hormones. Pregnancy hormones like oestrogen and hcG are the most common candidates. These hormones are responsible for various crucial functions, but also can cause nausea, tweak the sensitivity of smell and may also cause a bad taste in the mouth.

4. Stress

Stress is again a major contributor to appetite loss. Frequent body changes and baby movements will cause a subconscious stress and thus expecting mothers lose the zeal of eating. Thinking about baby too much also will add to the stress levels. Baby’s well being and development will cause a bit stress in the mother’s body.

5. Constipation

The frequently occurring body changes and hormone levels will lead to improper digestion and ultimately end up in constipation. Mothers suffer a lot due to this condition. The major side effect of this health condition is loss of appetite.

6. Growing size of the baby

The little one will grow with every passing day. The increase is size will push the uterus against the body organs. The stomach too gets pushed and the size reduces. This will lead to a lesser intake of food and loss of appetite. While the changes are dynamic, appetite loss is also dynamic. With passing time, the appetite is regained!

7. Mood Swings

Again, to blame the hormone influxes, mood of expecting mothers keep changing. The fluctuations are sometimes crazy and affects the desire to eat. These mood swings will cause a loss of appetite majorly.

8. Supplements

Each pregnancy is unique and your second wife will deal it with differently. At times, one might need a lot of supplement intake to maintain the pregnancy. These supplements can be calcium, iron, vitamins etc. Unfortunately, these supplements are synthetic and may interfere in the regular digestion process. This will for sure affect the appetite and make it go down from time to time.

9. Fatigue

The little one inside the womb can give a hell of a time. This happens due to sudden growth spurts in the foetus. This will usually happen when the expecting mother is migrating from one phase to the other. The baby movements and developments will tire the mother and she will just decide to skip a meal. The “skip” is only to rest! Resting will reenergise the mother for the rest of the day. Therefore, extreme fatigue is also a major cause for appetite loss.

10. Working beyond Recommended

Unfortunately, some mothers do not have a choice but to work at home or office without much comfort. This extra hard work would have increased appetite under normal conditions. But, for expecting mothers this acts negatively and decreases the zeal to eat. Appetite goes down and the same will reflect with the dark circles around the eyes.

11. Fever, cold & Cough

Often expecting mothers fall prey to common cold, cough and fever. This happens due to a weakened immune system. This condition primarily affects the appetite. This happens because of various medicines that are taken to recover from cold and cough. The taste buds lose their efficiency for some time and cause loss of appetite.

Each pregnancy is unique and one must deal it their way. Loss of appetite is common during these 36 weeks. The above are the most common reasons for appetite loss. However, there is a severe appetite break down, one must consult a doctor immediately. This condition might have severe effects on the new life and should be attended without wasting time.

References:

https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/appetite-loss

https://www.livestrong.com/article/192016-a-loss-of-appetite-during-pregnancy/